THE LOOK OF STYLE 2018

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’90s-style logomania is back. Here’s how to don a brand motif without looking like a boor.

Instead of a simply spelt-out brand name that suggests that the only intention is showing off, opt for a logo that is more design element. Bally (pictured) pays tribute to its Swiss roots and adds vintage flair to a vermilion sweater with a stylised gold logo referencing Suvretta, a hotel in St Moritz. At Ermenegildo Zegna, the XXX mark brands the exclusive pieces of the Couture collection, from pullovers to leather high-tops.

It’s no secret that women’s fashion has long received more attention than its masculine counterpart. To bring attention to Dior’s menswear atelier – lesser-known than, say, its women’s haute couture division – the brand’s last creative director, Kris Van Assche, decorated the edge of jacket sleeves with labels displaying the atelier’s Rue de Marignan address. This kind of transparency we like.

These days, brands like subverting their own logos to prove that they, too, have a sense of humour – consider, for instance, the deliberate misspellings of their own names by Gucci (“Guccy”) or Rodarte (“Radarte”) in recent years. Using a preppy sweater as a backdrop, Kenzo turned its own name into part of the kitschy programme for its movie-themed Fall collection.

TEXT LYNETTE KOH, KAREN TEE & BEN CHIN PHOTOGRAPHY TAN WEI TE, VEE CHIN & ZAPHS ZHANG

There’s definitely more than one way to do formal right now.

Blurring dress codes has led to greater flexibility in doing black tie. But because rules should be broken only after they have been mastered, here is a refresher on the essentials of this traditional dress code.

A key feature that sets a tuxedo jacket apart from its workhorse brethren is the dressy material of its lapels – usually satin or silk. Lapels can be – in ascending order of formality – notched, peaked or shawl style.

To some traditionalists, what we are going to say might sound sacrilegious, but here it is: While it’s great if you have mastered putting on a traditional bow tie, there is nothing wrong with wearing a pre-tied one. One has better things to do than trying to wrestle a strip of irregularly shaped silk into submission.

From seams to buttons, the working elements of a black-tie ensemble are often concealed for maximum sleekness. Smooth any lumps and bumps – whether they are a result of fabric or your flesh – with a cummerbund, worn at the waist and with the pleats facing upwards.

Sleek and shiny to match the other dressy accents on a formal suit, laceup shoes in black patent leather is the traditionalists’ choice. That, or lace-up shoes in a highly polished smooth leather – or even, for those with continental swagger, velvet smoking slippers.

Alternative ways to do formalwear.

VELVET REVOLUTION

Velvet blazer, wool trousers and cotton shirt, from Kiton. Metal cufflinks, from Ermenegildo Zegna.

Acrylic, polyester and cotton blend suit, from Off-White. Cotton shirt, from Brunello Cucinelli. Silk bow tie, from Kiton.

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Tom Ford is here to make sure you’re perfectly dressed underneath his clothes.

We’re not saying this is you, but, if anyone needed an excuse to toss those old skivvies with the waistbands that have just about lost all elasticity, Tom Ford – designer and purveyor of all things glamorous – now gives him plenty of good reasons to do so.

This month, Ford’s new underwear line hits stores, and it’s a full collection comprising more than 40 pieces. Available in four cuts (briefs, trunks, and short or classic boxers), the collection includes prints such as leopard and zebra, metallic cottons, and a seven-piece collection of nude shades that are designed to closely match a variety of skin tones. (Offering seven shades of nude underwear might sound a tad excessive for gentlemen with more austere leanings, but those with a soft spot for white linen trousers will appreciate this thoughtful colour-matching.)

Three new styles – and one cool classic – to view the world through.

With sunglasses, as with everything else, there’s a reason why something becomes a classic. A flattering standard that ful fils all childhood Top Gun fantasies, the aviator style almost always gives its wearer extra cool points. More so if they are this sleek pair by Tom Ford. The designer’s style hallmarks are out in full force in the vintage-inflected gold metal rims, gradient lenses and subtle Ts on the temple.

For Lennon-esque elegance, circular frames are coming back in the big roundabout that is fashion. With slightly angular edges, these pale gold Giorgio Armani frames are easier to wear than two perfect circles. (Note: Best for square face shapes with strong jawlines.) For those with active lifestyles or aspire to one, sporty eyewear completes the look. Among the new releases following the recent relaunch of Linea Rossa, Prada’s sport sinspired line recognisable by its iconic “red stripe” logo, single-lens gunmetal frames are a functional way to dive into the athluxury trend.

Prefer a look that’s more off-the-wall? Try one of the irregular-shaped styles making the rounds right now. The classic-with-a-twist aviators from Gentle Monster in a gold finish aren’t an easy shape to pull off, but, then again, no one has ever accused the innovative South Korean eyewear label of being an everyman brand. With flat apricot-coloured mirrored lenses and a unique brow-bridge, they’re a surefire notice-me choice.

SPORTY PRADA

IRREGULAR GENTLE MONSTER

ROUND GIORGIO ARMANI

Salient points to bear in mind for looking good in bad weather.

02 COVER UP STYLISHLY

This Z Zegna jacket represents what we like about many performance pieces created by our favourite brands these days: Firstly, it has style chops – just check out how its rich light brown shade contrasts handsomely with the crinkled finish of its technical material. Secondly, it is versatile, thanks to a removable quilted inner layer that adds an extra layer of warmth when you travel to cooler climes.

04 FOOTWEAR THAT CAN HANDLE PUDDLES

There is only some footwear that is truly water-resistant, and most of them are not suitable for the office – think rubber rain boots or, worse, Crocs. As far as office-appropriate shoes go, we recommend boots such as this smooth-leather pair by Hermes, which has a higher shaft that lets less water splash into socked feet. And, while they are smart enough for formal occasions, they come with rubber soles instead of leather ones, a feature that will keep you steady when you’re hurrying over wet ground.

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Highlighter shades turn up your visibility, day or night.

Call it the athleisure effect, or perhaps the fact that many of us could do with a few good jolts of energy in our lives. The bright shades on steroids known as neons are currently lighting up many of the latest collections, offering an array of ways to introduce them into your daily look.

Accessories, of course, offer an easy way to brighten up your wardrobe. Depending on how much attention you can bear, Louis Vuitton’s latest accessory collection includes neon accents both small (think animal-shaped leather charms) and large (bags in an aptly named Monogram Fluoro finish).

Sportswear offers another way to inject some high-octane colour into a look – Versace’s oversized puffer, for instance, makes sure the wearer will be the brightest spot on a cold, dreary landscape. But for a real style master stroke, incorporate your dose of Day-Glo into a dressy ensemble, and mix colours in an unexpected way: Hermes demonstrates how it’s done with a vibrant pink turtleneck and a pair of powder blue cuffed trousers.

A comparison of three versions of the wardrobe essential with wildly varying prices.

When it comes to quality, affordable basics, Uniqlo is quite possibly without peer. Case in point: its signature Supima cotton T-shirt. Supima is the brand name for American-grown Pima cotton, which accounts for less than one per cent of all cotton produced worldwide. With its extra-long, fine fibres, the fabric produced from it is stronger and hence more durable. Pretty impressive for an item that will get you change from a twenty.

Award-winning British fashion label Joseph’s take on the classic white T-shirt utilises mercerised jersey cotton. Mercerisation involves treating the cotton fibres in chemical baths, imparting more tensile strength and lustre to the fabric. The result is a T-shirt that holds its shape better after multiple washings and has a smoother, more luxurious feel on skin.

As with the digital world, the medium has become the message.

Once upon a time, people worked out to look good in their outside clothes. Today, half the battle – maybe more – is won if they look good while flinging their kettlebells about in the gym or dashing about doing shuttle sprints. In fact, with wellness being the trillion-dollar industry it is, fitness gear these days is often stylish and comfortable enough to take its wearer beyond the gym (hopefully not directly after a heavy sweatinducing workout). Here’s what to look for in multi-tasking gym gear:

If you’re expecting to perspire in an outfit and then sit around in it for a while longer thereafter, it should be made to combat the bouquet that accompanies sweat. The Drysense mesh of the top on the model is designed to wick sweat, be quick-drying, and in fitness-gear retailer Lululemon’s own words – “anti-stink”. Good to know.

Four pieces to stuff in your gym bag now.

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Donning the preferred colour of the geography professor without looking like a ’70s throwback.

All actions will have an opposite reaction. This might explain why, even as global trends keep nudging us towards evercrazier looks, there’s a certain countercurrent favouring a return to smart, sensible menswear choices that have nothing to do with oversized shoulders or brick-like sneakers. And the most classic and no-nonsense colour in the menswear palette must surely be brown – one of the It colours of the season.

There’s no need to fear looking like an academic from the Humanities department in the ’70s. Make brown look right now with these styling tricks from our favourite designer runways:

• Pair classic tan tailored pieces with crisp basics such as jeans and a white T-shirt.

• Alternatively, pair modern utilitarian separates – such as an outdoorsy jacket – in taupe with a navy pinstripe suit.

• Play with proportions: Cropped and boxy, and finished with clean hems, a tobacco-coloured leather jacket at Berluti looks modern, not Marlboro Man.

• Pick an item with an unusual fabric treatment that is light years away from old-fashioned, like a two-tone quilted coat by Hermes, made from the brand’s exclusive lightweight and water-resistant Toilbright fabric.

These are the best-looking version of the season’s ugly sneakers.

2018 is the year of the ugly sneaker. Dad shoes, chunky soles and ’90s sportswear have been trending in the last few years, thanks to clunky It sneakers like the seemingly ubiquitous, impossibly trendy Triple S from Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton’s retro-futuristic Archlights, but it has hit a high this year with more luxury companies dropping kicks almost faster than fans can snap them up.

Italian luxury label Salvatore Ferragamo now gives the competition a run for their money with its own take on bulky footwear. Typically, the house is well-known for its elegant, expertly crafted footwear; its late founder was known as “the shoemaker to the stars”. This time, the brand is turning its attention to a decidedly modern silhouette – the sports trainer with a sole-centric design – and keeps things tasteful with a sedate black-and-white palette instead of the loud clashing colours favoured by other brands. Bonus: A nod to another trend, logomania, comes from the iconic Gancino chain motif on the shoes’ intricate upper, made of calf leather and suede. Pretty sharp-looking for supposedly ugly sneakers.

Unusual items that can be tailor-made for those who demand a perfect fit even when they’re just gadding about.